Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Extraordinary Creativity

Deb Rumpel recently added a chicken coop to her home in the
suburbs, just one of many creative endeavors she has undertaken. A
homeschooling mom, adoptive and biological parent of three boys and spouse of 27
years, Deb is inspiring to know.

Welcome Deb!

Q) As a homeschooling parent of three full-throttle sons, how did you manage to maintain let alone stay creative amidst home life?

A) I don’t know that I was very successful at this. I think my creativity came out in different ways through different seasons. When we adopted our oldest son I wrote a lot of poems. I was finishing my English degree at that point and this was a good reflective release alongside of working toward that Bachelor’s degree. When we had our second son and discovered that our eldest had special needs, creativity was more hands on with the two of them. We did painting and clay projects. Creativity was geared to the two boys and then the three of them.

Now that the two oldest have graduated from high school and I am working with our sophomore in high school, I find that I have a little more wiggle room for expressing creativity. I want to get out the sewing machine as well as spend a lot of time dreaming on Pinterest. Last year my son and I got a Groupon for pottery throwing. I really enjoyed that. I would like to try glass blowing next.

Creativity can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Whether it is trying out a new recipe or changing your table decorations, it is creative expression that can turn black and white into technicolor! I love to change the decorations on my kitchen table or find a new set of towels for the bathroom. I dream about different ways of making my garden more sanctuary like and look forward to spring when I can go to the nursery and pick out a new perennial to add into the landscape. God is the ultimate Creator and I feel like I am reflecting His character when I create.

Q) I met you 6 years ago and life has really changed for you
since then.What is the most impacting
change you’ve experienced so far?

A) I think what has made the most impact is working on my
own personal growth, figuring out why I fall back into the same patterns. It
has been a very intimate journey and one that has been gut wrenchingly
beautiful. The Lord continues to teach me about His grace and His care for me.
He is giving me eyes to see that He wastes nothing. No matter how hard life
gets, it is not meaningless. It all works toward a purpose.

I think the most impacting change has been learning to speak
the truth in love rather than being a people pleaser and avoiding the hard
discussions. I have lived my life not putting much value on myself. I have
desperately tried to measure up. I have come to realize that I love others best
when I love myself as well. I have come to know that my heavenly Father has
given me value and worth. That fact has made it possible for me to love myself
and others with pure motives.

Q) You’ve made an amazing amount of creative additions to
your home. Has life always been like this for you?

A) This has certainly been a year of changes. We have
recently replaced our uneven cement sidewalk and stoop with a beautiful brick
one. It looks so wonderful. We also had ceramic, hardwood looking tile
installed over the cement in our basement. In total Rumpel style, we didn’t
stop there. We then ended up replacing the paneling with drywall and installing
canned lighting in the ceiling. The basement has had an amazing facelift. It
has become a place we are all enjoying. In the middle of all that we started
the chicken adventure. I think this is normal for us.

I love being creative
but it is tricky to try and fit it in. I get frustrated by the stops and starts
because life circumstances barge in unexpectedly and force a break in my own
agenda. I bring out my creativity only to have to put it back into a box and
hide it in a room until there is space for it again. Sometimes, though, I can’t
hide it and I must write or create. There is no holding back the dam when that
surge comes forth.

Q) When and why did your chicken coop come about?

Deb's eggs

A) I love my chickens! I put a lot of other projects on hold
to take this on. It was a lot bigger than I expected, but I don’t regret doing
it. At first it was just my desire to have eggs and meat that came from healthy
chickens (as organic as possible rather than raised on corn). Thankfully, my
hubby came alongside of me and we did this together. We built a lean-to on our
shed and a little run out of a dog kennel purchased from Craigslist. We are
still in our first year and learning the ropes. There is still much to learn
and fine tune in our little flock but we are moving forward. It is so wonderful
to bring in fresh eggs every day and know that they are chock full of vitamins
and protein. I am so thankful for all my neighbors who have agreed to let me
explore this chicken craziness and have even chased them back into their pen if
they get loose. I have the best neighbors!

Q) What were some solutions to the tricky problems you’ve
faced?

A) Prayer is huge. I need to remember that God is the one in
control and not me. I am totally dependent on Him. He is the one to meet my
deepest needs. It is so important for me to draw near to Him and remember that
none of what I face is happening without His knowledge. I am comforted in
knowing that I am not alone and whatever I face, it is not wasted. He redeems
everything!

Having a close support system is crucial. Having a couple of
people who know you well and you can text, “Pray,” reminds you that you are not
alone. Hiding when you are in trouble or struggling is not good. Seeking out a
counselor when appropriate is not a weakness but a strength. Being in a life-giving
church is important as well.

Q) Where did you find the strength and innovation to keep
your marriage alive?

A) I won’t lie. We have had some pretty dark years. Being in
the ministry, having three small children and huge medical bills really
stressed our marriage. We kept putting “our stuff” on the back burner in order
to put out every day fires. It caught up with us when we were both absolutely
empty. We talked with a trusted counselor and worked through our own stuff and
our together stuff.

We still don’t go on dates much but have learned how to
listen to each other. We have “eyeball time” and go through our “highs and
lows” from the day. We ask each other questions like, “What do you need from me
in this situation?” We are more in love than ever before. Our relationship has
grown so deep. It is far from perfect but we are committed to our covenant with
one other.

We seriously like being together. We love making memories.
We have fun quoting movies, VeggieTales, and random sayings from our kids. We
love laughing together and do it a lot but not as an escape from talking
through the hard things.

Q) Who was the most influential person in your creativity?

A) My mom was the one who really encouraged my creativity.
She was always doing crafts and selling them at shows during my growing up
years. She was a seamstress and artist at whatever she did. She made banners,
vestments, and candles for her church. She was always trying new things. She
did so much, even without the help of Pinterest.

When I went to college I had no idea what to focus on. She
encouraged me to try my hand at art. I didn’t understand this. Even though I
enjoyed crafts, I in no way considered myself an artist. I had never even taken
an art class before. She took art classes at the same time. We both drew and
painted. I thought she was much better than I was. Her encouragement tapped
into me, though. I had my own artistic style and she nurtured that as much as
she could.

When I was 24, my mom died of cancer. I lost not only my
best friend but also my biggest encourager. Before she died, she tried to give
me a crash sewing course on her machines. I never really got the knack for the
whole making clothing thing but I stitch straight lines for crafty projects on
the machine. I also love to write, especially if I have inspiration. I love to
take pictures and create memories with them. Most of my creativity bends towards
encouraging and blessing others. That is where my inspiration comes from now. It
is so worth it to make a cape for a little girl or collage together some old
pics to email to a friend. It is a blessing to my own heart to see a smile or
hear, “I really needed that today.” I pray that the Lord will continue to use
my gifts as an instrument for His glory. May I reflect the Father’s heart to
those around me. “That all may see the good that I do and give glory to God!”

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About Me

Been following God since 1985, having way too many adventures in the process. Stepping up from parenting to grand while working on the 2nd half of my marriage partnership. Wondering if I'm brave enough for a Master's Degree (maybe when I'm great-granding it.)